Roadside recovery

[sjnewport]

Can anyone help?
We tow a Sealine 218 ,with total trailer length end to end of 28 feet.
We want AA type cover for breakdowns but the AA only cover up to 26 feet in length.
Has anyone out there found a company that offers breakdown cover for that length of trailer ?
Also taking it to Ireland this year so would need cover whilst there
Thanks


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[hlb]

As it's probably totaly illegal. I doubt it.

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Haydn

 

[BrendanS]

Might be worth talking to seastart,as they do trailer repair and rescue UK and Continental. It's via AA, but mentions no upper size limit <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.seastart.co.uk/seastart.html>click here</A>

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[Dipper]

You could try <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.marinesupport.co.uk/>Marine Support Services</A>. They have a trailer recovery service linked to the RAC but I’m not sure about the trailer length.

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[tcm]

what aspect of the service will you need to stay within the 26foot length? I mean, do they have a long long container they will use? If not, do they have a very long tape measure which they first use and then say har har! 28 feet hard luck. We are so very rule-bound in this country.

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[sjnewport]

They say they can only tow 26 feet behind the recovery vehicle and only 21 feet loaded onto the recovery vehicle..
I think there must be some AA type recovery out there as you do not see the roadside with abandoned trailers and boats everywhere !!!,so they must be some company that operates a service to get them off the road when the towing vehicle breaksdown.


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[sjnewport]

Do you mean it is illegal to tow that length or to place it either on or be towed by a recovery vehicle?

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[hlb]

I mean its illegal to tow that length and probably beam, with say a 4x4. Although the laws about trailors are very strange.
Recovery vehicle is probably OK but depends what it is.

You were asking about insurance and you cant insure something that is illegal.

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Haydn

 

[neale]

Sorry Hadyn but there is no length limit in the UK. There is a legal width of 9ft 6in and all up weight of 3500kgs behind a car capable of towing it but length nothing.

I am with Brittania Rescue and as a RNLI member they will recover my boat and trailer which is slightly longer, wider and heavier than yours. (Sealine 218 not Haydn's!!!!!)

I'll look out more details tonight and update you tomorrow.

Neale

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by neale on 19/03/2003 12:10 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[hlb]

Well it's some years since I looked into it. When I was towing and the rules are mostly open to interpretation. But a no more than a foot wider than vehicle. I seem to remember (Each side) So you can get nowhere near 9ft 6in unless being towed by a big commercial vehicle. I'm only mentioning this as regarding insurance. But I cant see them wearing 28Ft sealine 218 on the back of a reliant robin!! I have no other info........./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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Haydn

 

[neale]

Current regs are: Max trailer width 7ft 6in with max overhang of 1 ft each side so beam of boat can be 9ft 6in. Obviously when it come to weights it will be legal as long as the trailer and the car are within their specified limits. If you are towing 3500kgs you are going to have to have a car which has a specified towing weight to match and so you are looking at a Range Rover or similar. An empty trailer capable of carrying a 25 ft boat will weigh around 750kg on its own and would probably be over the towing limit of a reliant robin anyway, but if it was not then legally it would be allowed. Anyone know the towing limit of a Robin????

Neale

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[sjnewport]

We seem to have got confused.
We tow a Sealine 218 [22feet boat length] behind a LWB Shogun.
All legal and above board !!!
We need roadside recovery for car, boat and trailer if we should have a breakdown whilst towing. The problem with the AA breakdown service is they only have vehicles big enough to tow 26 feet behind their recovery vehicles. The overall length of the trailer is 28 feet so obviuosly too long !!
Good news today following up other posts Marine Support services do a trailer sailor recovery policy and can recover any length trailer .
They use the RAC commercial recovery vehicles so apart from taking out their recovery policy you have to become RAC members with their roadside and recovery plan.
Will probably cancel AA membership now and join RAC and then Marine Support Services. Will check with RAC though because if their roadside and recovery plan covers the trailer anyway might just do that,as the trailer sailor policy covers boat recovery in the water and as we tend to always cruise in company might not be necessary for boat recovery whilst in water if boat breaks down.
Have looked into towing laws and 1 foot either side of trailer of 7foot 6 is correct so are therefore allowed overall width of 9 foot 6 inches.
Also checked weight of boat and trailer against our vehicle and all that legal also.


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[hlb]

Ah but, not allowed more than one foot wider than car. Less some one has changed the rules in last ten or so years. Can put 9ft 6 on back of artic unit easy cos eight foot wide. Cant rememer how wide my Trooper was, but dont think nearly as wide as Artic which I used to drive to Bagdad and Bazara among other places. Just being topical you understand. Insurance co's are quite happy to accept money for nearly anything. It's paying out when the fun starts. Just saying. Make sure it's legal or dont bother with extra insurance that probably wont pay out if suspect.

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Haydn

 

[tr7v8]

No it's always been 7ft 6 + 1ft each side, irrelevent as to width of towing vehicle, going by your rules most cars wouldn't be allowed to tow caravans the vast majority of which are 6ft plus. However you are meant to have a clear view with the mirrors past the load. You have to have forward facing side markers as well.
I believe the maximum length of trailer is 27ft which is tow hitch to back of trailer the load can then over hang the trailer, hence in real terms the maximum boat to be towed is around the 27ft mark.

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Draco 2500

 

[hlb]

This is where the law gets confusing. If mirrors stick out, then that is the width of vehicle? or is it? Anyway we both seem to agree, that it's all getting on the iffy side. Hey. I used to tow something similar and no problems. Cos if it looks ok plod dont know any better. But once towed it on the back of mates old landrover. Then they asked questions. All I'm saying is be carefull on insurance. Dot all the I's or they wont pay out when the time comes. It's a long time since I read up on it. But still cant see 9ft 6 on the back of a car. It would look rediculas for a start.

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Haydn

 

[BrendanS]

Did you have any joy with seastart?, they mention that they use AA truck recovery service, so probably similar to what you are describing with RAC?

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[neale]

The answer is:

Most of the large breakdown co's: AA, RAC, Green Flag and Brittania Rescue will cover trailers as part of their standard package but only up to a certain size. The largest I have seen as standard is 26ft. Some also have weight limits. I spoek to the AA and the RAC a couple of years ago to see if they had any schemes to cover my combo: Lenght 29ft, width 8ft 2in, weight 3300kgs. They both said no. Brittania rescue's standard policy goes up to 23ft in lenght but if you join them in affiliation with the RNLI they will cover a trailer of ANY length provided you have told them the details in advance. So you join the RNLI for a min of £18, (if you're not already a member), then Brit Resc for £60.65 for standard roadside assistance and recovery to a destination of your choice.

Ps: it also includes free cover in the Republic of Ireland!!!

See here:
http://www.britanniarescue.com/affinity/rnli/rnli.html

Neale

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[BrendanS]

Seastart do the same deal, join RYA, £59 for coverage of any size trailer, UK and Europe, through the AA

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[sjnewport]

Checked both seastart and marine support services.Going to go with Seastart,linked with AA,as much cheaper than other

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[BrendanS]

I'd recommend seastart's normal services too, but probably less useful where you're based, and in Ireland

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